Reviews

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

hollidayreadswithme's review against another edition

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2.0

“I had to regain my Y chromosome” That’s what Adam said when he was trying to stop crying. Are we being serious right now? We have to stop saying that crying and expressing emotion is not manly.

I’m not sure what I expected from this. I would say that it’s a waste of 6 hours but I listened to it double speed so it was around 3.

Let’s talk about this as a stand alone book because I watched the movie but didn’t read the book. As a standalone book, I don’t like it. But I don’t like because I am not understanding we keep doing this. He is thrown into depression and self sabotage when the girl he’s dating just vanishes. Why do we keep thinking it’s romantic when people can’t let go?

I think this is going to be my last foray into YA fiction. It’s just too hard. It takes itself so seriously. I understand that this is a very serious topic, but Adam just came off as needy, whiny and ungrateful. He’s supposed to be in his late twenties, but it’s only been three years...Wasn’t he 19 when the first book happened? I’m confused. Moreover, I don’t understand why he won’t go solo. If he’s writing all of the songs and they don’t like him, why is he putting himself through that? Maybe afraid of being alone?

The insecurity in this book is astounding. Adam, get a therapist. He doesn’t deal with his issues and then put it on Mia to fix his awful ego. That’s what was damaged with her leaving him high and dry and no, you don’t owe anyone an explanation after your entire family dies. We have to stop that too, the implication here is that he is owed something just because he was by her side at the hospital. He said he would let her go and then doesn’t.

Spoiler Mia hating him should have been the end. If I could rewrite the ending of the book, I would have Adam working on another album with the help of a therapist, who would hopefully let him know that the world doesn’t stop just because he’s sad. When he lost his temper with Mia and is yelling at her on the ferry? I was not okay with that. Why are we teaching young girls that it’s good to stay with people who don’t do the right thing?


It was a quick read. I’m not mad at it...Okay I am but I’ll still give it 2 stars.

2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge - A book about a hobby
2019 ATY Challenge - A book with one of the 5 W's in the title

orphic's review against another edition

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4.0

i prefer the sequel than the main book i dont know why but all i know is that it moved me more than If I Stay

chelseabee17's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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lifenomad2's review against another edition

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5.0

I honestly LOVED it to bits. The struggle he had was a bit tiring but as it got to its end, it felt releasing, like feeling what Adam felt. Loved how it all turned out, but it could've gotten another twist so it can leave us thinking about possibilities. All in all, it is WORTH READING!

eesh25's review against another edition

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2.0

Spoilers afoot about whether the book has a HEA.

Lets get the synopsis out-of-the-way first: In If I Stay, Mia decided to stay after Adam begged her to. But soon after, she dumped him without a word. It's been three years since that and Adam is super famous but in a bad place. And then he and Mia meet and things start to happen and stuff...

Sorry if that description sucked. I'm just not very happy with the book because I'm one of the few people who didn't like the ending.

And it's not that I didn't want Mia and Adam to end up together, I did. And while I was very pissed about what Mia did (I though she was a complete asshole), I understood her reasons and even why Adam decided to forgive her. I just hated how quickly he got over everything.

Mia wasn't the only one affected by that accident but she was affected the most. But still, the way she just dropped Adam as if he didn't mean anything and then waltzed back into his life like nothing even happened... And then Adam just took her back like, 'So what if she broke my heart in the worst way and pretended for years that I didn't even exist; we had a couple of conversations about it in a span of a few hours and I'm suddenly okay with everything'.

It makes sense for Adam to forgive her. But you don't get over three years of feeling like he did in less than a day. It takes time. That's why it was so wrong. I wanted him to take time, and I wanted Mia to do... more. We never saw her make up for how much she hurt him.

That's my problem with the book. Well, that and the fact that a third of the book is told in flashbacks. I loathe those. Everyone has something they don't like reading. Books told in backstory form or those that even have flashback... that's the thing I don't like. Never did (with only one exception so far). But this is more of a personal preference than a critique.

Overall, this book very much bothered me, but it was a well written book. Gayle Forman is a good author and I will be reading other books by her. I hope we don't have such a difference in opinion with them.

emmwalsh1024's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5
Meh. I prefer the first one, but the ending was good though.

reader4evr's review against another edition

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2.0

I LOVED If I stay and this one was such a disappointment. I was told that it got better when I was complaining about the book/Adam by a friend of mine but no it did not.

I listened to this on audiobook and I was shocked to find out that it was read by a guy because 80% of the book is about Adam. I wish it was more about Mia but I know the first book was about her. Overall, Adam was such a whiny and annoying character in this book. Sometimes I couldn't help it but I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the ways that he reacted to things or what he said. I know he was very effected by Mia's accident and I would be too if that happened to be but the way he acted was ridiculous and I was like shut up already and deal with it!

I'm glad their relationship was kind of resolved at the end but I think this was not a good sequel/follow up to the 1st one. Wonder if there will be another one.

shes_book_obsessed's review against another edition

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4.0

Where She Went
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yup, I so prefer this over If I Stay.

laurenkreinces's review against another edition

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4.0

Truth be hold, I think I actually enjoyed this book better than "If I Stay." I don't know why, but I do. The plot as a whole was a bit cliche, but I'm a sucker for a good love story (not always but sometimes).